NLC, civil society decry cut in health, education budgets

• Seek massive reduction of political appointees’ emoluments 

Although it is imperative to reduce 2020 budget estimates, the decision to reduce the budget of the social sub-sector such as health, education and agriculture in the face of economic hardship that COVID-19 has imposed on the global economy may backfire.
 
The Labour-Civil Society Situation Room on Covid-19 said in Abuja that it is worried about the decision to downsize the budgetary provisions for health, education, agriculture and infrastructure and freeze new recruitments in all the Ministries, Agencies and Departments of government except those in the health and security sectors.
 
It stated that such a step would make economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis more difficult, even as it expressed worry that the over-padded emoluments of political leaders in Nigeria remain untouched, including their unregulated access to security votes in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the failure of our economy to add value to primary resources has become our albatross. From our crude oil to agricultural products, the breakdown in our resource value chain has deepened our crisis of unemployment, the dearth of foreign exchange reserves and local currency tumult,” it explained.

The coalition also maintained that distribution of palliatives to the informal sector is not sufficient, inclusive and transparent enough.
 
The group said governments should adopt a measured approach to the fallout of Covid-19, saying resorting to economic stabilization and austerity measures by the Federal government would worsen the current economic crisis.